This invention consists of a unique surfacing tool, more specifically a perforated abrasive metal sheet adapted for use instead of sandpaper in commercial sanding machines with reciprocating sanding action.
The problem of smoothing wood surfaces, painted and unpainted, is an age old one. Techniques for accomplishing this include planing, scraping, filing and sanding. Planing and scraping generally require unidirectional movement while filing and sanding are usually not so limited. Converting these techniques from hand power to motor power has resulted in some modifications. Motor power has provided two styles of action for abrading tools. One is a substantially lineal action which operates in one direction as in a belt sander or in two directions as in a reciprocating sander. The other is a rotary action as in a rotary disc sander. It is noteworthy that in the field of motor-powered hand tools for smoothing wood surfaces sanders are well known whereas motor-powered hand-held planes, scrapers and files are uncommon or unknown. Sanders other than belt sanders make use of sandpaper which is supported on some sort of base. While sandpaper is generally inexpensive, its use with motor-powered tools presents a problem in that some of the sand is released from the paper and most of the rest of the sandy surface becomes clogged with the large amounts of wood flour generated by motorized sanding. The problem of wood flour buildup is partially alleviated in belt sanders by the flexing action on the sandpaper belt coupled with the centrifugal force on the wood flour as the belt turns in its continuous, generally elliptical path and in disc sanders by the centrifugal force on the wood flour from the rotating sandpaper disc. The solutions to these problems have been the subject of a number of patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 932,879 discloses a sandpapering plane with a special provision for clamping sandpaper thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,729,881 discloses a rotary disc file which is a hardened steel disc with a large number of burrs or cutting teeth. The disc is fastened to and supported at its center and around its edge by a back plate. The disc is supported at its center and around its edge and is otherwise self-supporting.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,789,298 discloses a cylindrical abrading roll formed from a spirally-wound thin metal strip provided with rows of abrading teeth produced by perforating the strip by means of punches whereby the projections or burrs surrounding the perforations form the teeth. The strip is supported by a core having a plurality of supporting spiral ribs. It should be noted that this device is designed to remove surplus material, such as leather from shoe parts, while roughening rather than smoothing the final surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,448 discloses an endless band abrading device like a belt sander but featuring an endless steel band provided with a series of outwardly directed teeth formed by being struck up from the material of the band.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,119 discloses an annular scraping disc having a plurality of raised perforations punched outwardly therein, the size of the perforations decreasing towards the center of the disc.
None of this art discloses a surfacing tool for use with a reciprocating motor drive.